Category: SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION
Stories and ideas about being in harmony and at peace with the Creator.
Last Wednesday, 05 October, our team visited the Malipayon Peace Hub construction site for an exciting update! The owner of the 3A Modular PreFab, the company entrusted with this project, joined us to provide a comprehensive technical overview of the construction’s current status. We are thrilled to report that the progress is right on target and is comfortably staying within the allocated budget. This inspiring journey of building a hub dedicated to justice-based peacebuilding and reconciliation is progressing smoothly, thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, especially our impact partners.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/10/the-malipayon-peace-hub-construction-is-on-target-and-within-budget/
In a world grappling with pressing environmental challenges and deep social divisions, we seek a dialogical harmonization between the worldview of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) and the worldviews of various Indigenous People’s (IP) communities who welcomed us to journey with them. We seek to learn with them through equal partnership and mutual learning experiences. These learning processes reminds us that harmony is not an abstract dream but a tangible and achievable goal. It’s a call to action, beckoning Settlers and IPs to converge in fostering a more compassionate, sustainable, and harmonious local and global community. It’s a promise that by listening to the land and each other, we can find the path to a brighter, more harmonious future for all. Let us heed this call and embark on this transformative journey together.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/09/harmonizing-pbcis-worldview-with-indigenous-peoples-sustainable-and-regenerative-way-of-life/
Davao City, August 24, 2023 — The Kapehan Sa Davao Network (KSDN) hosted a seminar titled “Building Sustainable Peace and Gender Responsive Coffee Industry” at Sebastian’s Restaurant in Barangay Baganihan, Marilog, Davao City. The event witnessed the participation of 36 prequalified individuals hailing from the Matigsalog Indigenous People, including farming cooperative leaders, youth leaders, spiritual leaders, and tribal leaders. The central theme of the seminar was conflict transformation in the workplace, with a specific focus on coffee farms and companies.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/08/matigsalog-ancestral-domain-seminar-promotes-sustainable-coffee-industry-and-peacebuilding/
PeaceBuilders School of Leadership, the multidisciplinary mentorship program of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI), has been successful in their leadership training initiatives. Many individuals who have gone through this program have witnessed positive transformations in their lives and have become influential peacebuilders in their communities. In light of this success, the Board of Trustees (BOT) of PBCI has decided to institutionalize the said leadership mentoring school by offering a Certificate Program on Inclusive Development (IncluDev). IncluDev aims to equip individuals and organizations with the necessary knowledge and skills to engage effectively in transformative social change.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/07/includev-is-set-to-prepare-peace-and-reconciliation-leaders-of-the-21st-century/
Joseph “Ka Boyet” Ongkiko started his field work in his new capacity as PBCI Executive Vice President for Institutional & Program Development. This position involves developing and sustaining the organizational structure and expanding the stakeholder base of PBCI. He is now beginning to seek partnerships with other organizations, and keeping abreast of the latest developments in peacebuilding. Soon, his team’s tasks would include leading periodic reviews of institutional strategic plans, developing inclusive programs for the coconut industry, and institutionalizing a school of inclusive development. Ka Boyet and his staff will also be responsible in solidifying the sustainability and communication strategies at PBCI.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/06/ka-boyet-starts-with-his-field-work-as-evp-institutional-and-program-development/
The Sondawa Coffee Farmers Association (SoCoFA) held a two-day leadership training on value-based strategic planning last 26-27 May 2023, at the Mt. Apo Facilities of the Energy Development Corporation (EDC). The training was facilitated by PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) and Coffee for Peace (CFP), who are partners with the Manobo Apao Descendants Ancestral Domain of Mount Apo (MADADMA) and EDC. This value-based strategic planning was a culmination of more than 5 years of journeying together and partnership between the MADADMA, EDC, and PBCI-CFP. Through those five years, a Peace and Reconciliation (PAR) Community and a social enterprise have been established, and a set of well-qualified, equipped, and enthusiastic leaders were elected to sustain and regenerate this inclusive development program, which is partly a result of an on-going MCCanada peacebuilding ministry in the Philippines.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/05/obo-menovu-coffee-farmers-hold-value-based-strategic-planning/
PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Joseph Astrophel “Ka Boyet” Ongkiko as its new Executive Vice President for Organizational and Program Development. Mr. Ongkiko assumed his new position on 01 May 2023. His duties will involve developing and sustaining the organizational structure; expanding the stakeholder base; seeking partnerships with other organizations; keeping abreast of the latest developments in peacebuilding; leading periodic reviews of institutional strategic plans; developing inclusive programs for the coconut industry; and, institutionalizing a school of inclusive development. Ka Boyet will also be responsible for revenue generation, through the social entrepreneurial programs of PBCI, towards the sustainability and regeneration of activities under his areas of responsibility.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/05/joseph-astrophel-ka-boyet-is-pbci-evp-for-organizational-and-program-development/
The Arrupe Office of Social Formation — the social formation arm of the Ateneo de Davao University — invited Joji and me as one of their resource speakers last 28 February 2023, for the event entitled “Love Stories: Paano Umibig sa Panahon ng Ligalig? The Way of Love in Troubled Waters”. This event is one of the activities in commemoration of the 32nd death anniversary of Jesuit Father General Pedro Arrupe. Our talk was part of a series of short talks and performances inspired by Fr Pedro Arrupe’s “fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything” and is grounded in Christ’s most fundamental teaching: love. Joji and I were so grateful for the privilege of sharing our harmonious view of love — that of loving the Creator, loving our being, loving others, and loving the whole creation.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/02/the-ateneo-de-davao-university-invited-us-to-share-our-love-story/
At Mennonite Church Canada, they refer to this as Peace Learning Tour Philippines. For us at PBCI-CFP Team, we see these partners and friends as faith-siblings who did accompany us in our field work. This field trip happened last 13-22 January 2023. Norm Dyck led the group — Andrea, Anita, Brent, Dorothea, Dorothy, Edna, Lois, and Rose. They travelled with us, the Inclusive Development Team of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. and Coffee for Peace (PBCI-CFP IncluDev Team), and visited some of our field partners in Mindanao. The tour included visiting Davao Bible Community, our local church partner; the Talaandig Indigenous People’s community; the Obo Manobo IP community and our common partner, the Energy Development Corporation; the Tri-People’s Farm owned by Romy and Lulu Elusfa; and the Bagobo Tagabawa IP community. We concluded the tour with a rest and recreation day at the Paradise Beach Resort.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2023/01/canadian-peace-learning-tour-participants-accompanied-us-in-our-field-work/
2022 was like seeing the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. We felt we were getting out of the darkness of 2020-2021 paralyses due to Covid. Joji was able to visit and bond with our three adult children and eight grandchildren last Fall. They bring so much joy to our lives. Meanwhile, the operations of Coffee for Peace (CFP) in the context of the new realities are being appreciated by the global social enterprise community. The Field Operations Team of PeaceBuilders Community, Inc. (PBCI) revived our on-the-ground projects with various community partners. With both the PBCI Board of Trustees and the CFP Board of Directors, we reviewed the past 16 years of justice-based peace and reconciliation ministry in Mindanao and we all agreed that this Philippine ministry is now entering into a leadership transition phase.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2022/12/family-development-and-ministry-transition-bring-joy-to-us-as-we-journey-through-the-pandemic/
A total of 500 Teduray and Lambangian families affected by “Paeng” were identified by their local Indigenous Political Structure as most vulnerable. WEA Manila, led by Bishop Efraim Tendero, sent 500 Sphere Standard Relief Packs to two communities of Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIP) within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The first wave of relief operations was done last 15-16 November in Barangay Kuya, Municipality of South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur. The second wave was done last 14-16 December in Barangay Matuber, Municipality of Datu Blah Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. PeaceBuilders Community served as the “delivery team” along with the enthusiastic volunteers from Timuay Justice and Governance (TJG) within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Formal courtesy letters were sent to municipal, barangay, and military authorities.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2022/12/wea-manila-brings-relief-supplies-to-teduray-lambangian-tribes-through-pbci-tjg-part-2/
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was severely affected by Typhoon Paeng (international name Nalgae). According to a report by ReliefWeb International, in this region alone, around 1 million people or 202,000 families were affected. 467,000 people were displaced. The death toll is 51, and 14 are missing. Within the BARMM, we’re focusing on the Teduray and Lambangian Tribes — the Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples in the region. PBCI works in partnership with the Timuay Justice and Governance regarding the needs on the ground. We’re also charged by Bishop Efraim Tendero of WEA Manila to deliver Core Humanitarian Standard packs to 500 Teduray and Lambangian families.
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Permanent link to this article: https://peacebuilderscommunity.org/2022/11/wea-manila-brings-relief-supplies-to-teduray-lambangian-tribes-through-pbci-tjg-part-1/
